Oklahoma City Thunder: Does OKC have to trade Russell Westbrook and rebuild?

Tobias Harris

Jimmy Butler’s teammate for a few months just got puh-AID, and it’s unlikely he will live up to his contract. He does many of the same things PG does on offense (2.9 assists per game and 40.2 percent 3-point shooting on the Clippers and 76ers), but definitely not on defense.

If Ben Simmons adds a floater to his own game, or perfects the art of cutting to the basket, or if newly-acquired (from Miami for Butler) swingman Josh Richardson emerges as a Butler-esq reliable wing scorer, it’s easy to envision the 76ers taking on two expiring contracts and Schroder’s two year deal to get rid of Harris’s bloated contract in mid December or January.

In this scenario, the Thunder would likely get to keep SGA or keep all of the newly-acquired picks and pick swaps and end up feeling they have enough assets left to add a third scorer or 3-and-D player. The net result would be a deeper, better shooting team than the one they fielded last year, albeit it with a little less top end talent.